Unsafe to Safe

'Our Hospital' is a fine imaginary hospital where miracles happen daily. At the same time, our proud imaginary hospital is not as safe for our patients and our staff as it can be. Therefore, it is not as safe as it must be. Made uncomfortable by this epiphany, our enlightened hospital leadership has now become "impatiently alarmed" and has requested proposals to advance immediate, necessary, dramatic, meaningful and measurable safe patient-centered care. This primer, Unsafe to Safe - An Impatient Proposal for Safe Patient-centered Care is a kind, gentle, optimistic response to leadership's request. This proposal: * Recognizes that only our Hospital's Leadership Compass (board chair, chief executive, medical staff leader and nurse/professional staff leader) has the responsibility, authority, gravitas and access to resources to immediately (i.e., today) advance safe patient-centered care,* Observes that the necessary messages (ideas) have been well articulated by national and regional messengers. What is needed is innovative execution at the hospital level,* Recognizes that since required resources and expertise are readily available, immediate safe patient-centered care is a matter of will rather than unaffordable investment and* Advances a formula to attain immediate (today), necessary, dramatic, meaningful and measurable safe patient-centered care: (1) Ensure our Hospital Leadership Compass has responsibility for safe patient-centered care, (2) Ensure our Hospital Leadership Compass is aware of the status of care in our hospital, (3) Bring our 'right people' together to analyze and design consensus solutions, (4) Change our hospital culture through evidence-based teaching and learning, (5) Measure our progress and (6) "Just do it" ever better over and over again. Dr. Mike Whitewww.tmichaelwhitemd.com